Midnight is a Lonely Place
by Kiwi-chan
Summary: [AU:HU] "Abandon all hope ye who enter here...welcome to Hell, Hiiro Yui." In a Hell reminiscent of Dante's Inferno, Satan is not at all a mythical monster but rather a pale, blonde girl with dark, sad eyes.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own either Gundam Wing, Sailor Moon, or Dante's Divine Comedy. (more disclaimers at bottom)

It's short and strange. ^^; And it's my first series … O.O!! 

~~~()~~~

They say sometimes in the rain, you can hear the angels laughing, and that a festival of fountains brought down the sweet, blessed water.

That is why, as the story goes, rain brings so many conflicting emotions to man – man who cannot deny the charm of it but at the same time can't help but realize that he can never return to Eden and that for the seventy-something years he lives, he is caught between heaven and hell, enjoying heathen pleasures but gazing up at a sky so blue, wishing for so much more.

~~~()~~~

I remember studying Dante's Inferno in that high school where I first met Relena Darlian. Of course, somewhere between trying to stay alive and keeping Relena out of the web of my life, Dante got pushed to the background. Despite that hell was a subject I was fairly fond of – after all, I had always imagined I would end up going there.

I didn't realize how right I was.

Dante alleged that hell had nine circles plus a vestibule of opportunists – those who drew back when it came time to choose between Satan and God. Circle One housed the virtuous pagans and unbaptized children, Circle Two the carnal, Circle Three the gluttonous, Circle Four the misers, Circle 5 the wrathful, Circle Six the heretics, Circle Seven those who hurt others, objects, or themselves, Circle Eight flatterers, hypocrites, and thieves, and Circle Nine, the final circle that was hell itself, home of Satan and his kind – the treacherous. 

Whether they meant to teach us great literature, for it was said that Dante and Shakespeare divided the world between them and that there was no third, or if they simply wished to instill a hatred of school and Dante in every student didn't matter. What was troubling was that only now did I realize how I might be better off if I had actually paid attention. 

I tried to take deep breaths and remember past two years of mind-numbing killing to the Inferno.

__

I am the way into the city of woe.

I am the way to a forsaken people.

I am the way into eternal sorrow.

I couldn't help but wonder briefly if Relena would cry at my funeral. 

__

Sacred justice moved my architect.

I was raised here by divine omnipotence

Primordial love and ultimate intellect.

Would she move on? Forget entirely the boy she met two or three years ago who she had pursued so desperately? The boy who lay dying as she wept and whispered her love until night fell and dawn came? 

__

Only those elements that cannot wear

Were made before me, and beyond time I stand.

Abandon all hope ye who enter here.

Welcome to hell, Hiiro Yui, I thought, shaking my head tiredly, and stepped in.

~~~()~~~

My first thought was that hell was a very organized place. For a brief, glorious moment, I believed that Dante truly was nothing more than an epic poet lost in the religious fervor of his time.

That is, until I saw the signs in front of each line – Circle One, Circle Two, and so on.

Behind polished counters were harassed-looking receptionists. It wasn't difficult to figure out the cause of the bags under their eyes – the room was rife with the sound of loud arguing and haggling courtesy of those who wished to be moved to another circle.

I had always imagined I'd go under "wrathful" and Circle Five … or perhaps in Circle Seven, with those who hurt others, objects, or themselves. I took my time thinking, though, frowning faintly at the people bustling around – what was there to hurry to? We were only going to be stuck here for an eternity.

I decided against trying my luck and headed for Circle Seven, just as the volume of the room dropped to utter silence and heads turned, searching. 

I had never believed in angels, much less fallen ones – that was Relena's job – but if I ever did, the figure in front of me would certainly have qualified.

Brittle wings with lifeless feathers trailed her, sharply contrasted by golden streams of hair, resplendent and like strands of melted sunlight in the shadow-laced reception hall. Her white dress was tattered and adorned with sharp accents of delicate scarlet; she stood out, like the ghostly light of the moon, among her entourage veiled in black.

Too late did I realize that all those around me were kneeling. Our eyes locked.

She never stopped walking, but her head turned and those unblinking, haunting eyes, so dark a blue that they could have passed for black, followed me. 

The moment froze—and passed. 

The noise returned, at first a slight whisper but gradually escalating to its original cacophony.

I found that I could hardly move but stumbled to the closest receptionist.

"Who was that?"

She gave me a pained-and-disgusted-but-still-trying-to carry-on look.

"That," she paused to check her file, "Mr. Hiiro Yui of Circle Seven, was Satan."

__

Yes, Hiiro Yui, welcome to hell. 

~~~()~~~

Hello, hello! ::bows:: Kiwi-chan here. :D This fic was generally inspired by **Angelight-san's Picture This** [the chapter named Inferno] except this is very real [not figurative, like hers]. 3 It's strange to write in first person … it's almost as if I was unconsciously projecting myself onto Hiiro. O.O;; What a scary thought. ::shakes head violently:: I'd prefer to keep it first person … due to the paucity of first person POVs in this section … -_-; But I really don't know whether or not I can pull it off. -_-; Wish me luck and thanks for reading! :D ~Kiwi-chan


	2. Crimson Waters

**Disclaimer**: Neither Gundam Wing nor Sailor Moon belongs to me in any fashion. This idea does, however. :D And I'll do … something really, really ebil if you take it. ;

_Minna-sama__! Look how late I am! This was first put up at the end of January … which now seems like a pleasant dream away. Forgive me? 9.9 Lol isn't that face cute? :D Like me. JK. So just … enjoy and … please don't get angry! I promise to be more regular with my updates … and Angelight (chan :D) has promised to be my … ah … conscience. :D (after nagging quite considerably. JK. :D) Enjoy, enjoy! :D_

()()()

_Chapter 1: Crimson Waters_

_Kiwi-chan_

_10/17/04___

In _Paradise Lost_, I had read that Satan was a Leviathan-like figure of mythic proportions and phenomenal ferocity. But Satan was a _she_ and Satan was…

Wimpy.

Girly.

A _she_, damn it, a _she_.

But what was Satan _truly_? Was she able to change her appearance? Did she have copious masks behind which she hid? Was there a monster inside of her so immense that the most penetrating human word to depict it would be _disgusting?_

I shook my head – now was not the time to resort to paranoia or childhood nightmares, even if a slender, blonde, midget of a devil was undeserving of the title nightmare.

"Is everybody for this shift here yet?" The girl at the front of Circle Seven's meeting room looked almost ready to jump out of her seat and skip around the neighborhood, singing under her breath. She beamed at us, her blue eyes luminous in Hell's artificial brightness, and a few people smiled back. I scowled to myself. What was there to smile about? It was like standing at the guillotine, laughing as the blade came swooping down.

The blonde girl clapped her hands together and stood up. "Okay, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please find the headphones by your seats and put them on to ensure perfect comprehension of what I say for those who did not speak English in their lifetimes." She repeated this in several major languages, sounding very much like an excessively lively airline attendant. I identified French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, and Hindi.

Was this Hell?

This was preposterous!

I entertained the idea that this was nothing but a strange nightmare stemmed from my eating too much of Duo's burnt chicken that evening. Duo's burnt chicken … I felt faintly nauseous – now _that_ was a nightmare.

"Over the years, we have kept up with Earth's technology and now can boast T3 connections in every Circle. This is all thanks to Satan. Now, ladies and gentlemen, we shall proceed in our virtual tour of Hell." She pressed something on the remote and the image from the projector was replaced by another.

I wanted to die of laughter. This wasn't Hell! This was illogical! Who had ever heard of taking a virtual tour of Hell with a guide that couldn't stop smiling?

And here I had been waiting to endure everything, holding my breath for a Cerberus to rear in my view, for the demons of my dreams to envelop me in their arms, embracing me to tragedy. But when faced with the clement ambiance of what writers and preachers for centuries have shuddered to describe, I found myself helplessly looking around, greedy for even the slightest indication of enormity, of castigation, of Dante.

()()()

She bit her lip as she stared at the deep scratch etching itself on the inside of her arm. Blood was oozing out as if it had coagulated while inside of her.

"Usagi, I'll get you another towel," Ami offered, standing up to head to the linen closet.

She shook her head and took a deep breath. "Don't bother. I've dealt with this for almost eternity. Besides, we both know what will happen to the towel." Her hair flashed gold as she leaned forward to scrutinize her arm. "I remember this one. It came from one of the briars I landed on when I fell from…"

She didn't finish her sentence; she didn't need to. Ami nodded and looked away as Usagi blinked back tears.

"You know, Ami, I don't think these cuts were meant to cause me pain. I think that He realizes after an eternity, I would have grown used to them."

Ami pursed her lips and sniffled, shaking her head. "Don't be dense, Usagi. Of course not. They are there so that no one can ever touch you without hurting themselves. To be eternally lonely; it's so immensely painful that it's a punishment worthy of Satan. After all, He understood your compassion if not your goodness."

Usagi smiled bitterly. "Understood my compassion? Then why am I here? Why do the wounds I received from then reappear each day with blood hot as fire, poisonous as quicksilver, caustic as acid?"

Ami didn't say anything for a long time. When she did, her voice was heart wrenchingly soft. "I don't know, Usagi. You would have to ask Him."

Silence passed as Usagi watched crimson eat away bits of her clothing, staining and then burning.

"If only I could…"

()()()

"And lastly, unless you hope for a painful death, you will avoid Circle Nine and those who reside there. Only with official orders can you enter it … and you should pray never to get official orders to go there." Minako, the name the blonde had established for herself, shrugged and gave the roomful of people a wide smile. "Those who are ordered to visit Circle Nine never come back in one piece."

That was the first trace of something macabre he had seen in her – there was a glimmer in her eyes, and she almost squealed the last line as if everybody in that room should strive to visit Circle Nine and not come back in one piece.

She cleared her throat and clicked the projector off. "Oh, and one more thing. Unless you enjoy pain, you will avoid touching Satan because she is covered in acidic blood." Minako grinned. "Speaking to her, if you're willing to brave it, is actually quite pleasant. She's a very sociable person."

Mutters arose around the room. I was confident that they were all mordant.

"Now, we're going to play a game."

I started feeling queasy.

"We're going to go around the room and introduce ourselves and say one thing that we like that begins with the same letter as our names. I'll start." She tapped her chin in thought and then beamed. "I'm Minako Aino and I like mangos."

The nauseous feeling at the pit of my stomach intensified. At that moment, I decided that I would rather visit Circle Nine and risk not returning in one piece than search for an article of food that began with H.

Hi, my name is Hiiro Yui and I like jalapeños.

Even the thought made me blanch.

Hi, my name is Hiiro Yui and I like H-bombs.

That made me recoil, too.

Then it hit me. This was it. This was our expiation. In a room of unparalleled elites with insuperable murdering and self-injury proficiency, _this_ was agony.

And the blonde girl Minako, no matter how ingenuous and cheery she looked, has evidently had much experience, playing her cards circumspectly and shrewdly, watching, waiting, and smiling.

()()()

I stood coolly, tolerantly as she moved down the list, past the B's and I's and Q's, dividing us, conquering us, smiling like Dr. J would whenever somebody mentioned my name and the word fear in the same sentence.

They were like Alexanders, like Timurs, like Khans, sweeping in, barbaric, revolting, while I stood, helpless. Helpless. It was such a bitter word that spoke of defeat, of cowardice.

Of Failure.

And Failure was a greater demon than Satan. Failure was what I had seen within myself when I had looked up into Relena's glassy eyes and saw all the things I should have said. Failure was what I had seen when I looked around and saw Trowa cringing as he drew in air, Quatre's face blushing blue as he tried to avoid looking at his lacerated abdomen, Duo and Wufei trying to help despite their contradictory personalities.

It seemed that at that moment, when Failure had welcomed all six of us into its clench, that we had finally realized that this was it, that from now on we were not going to be a group of five any longer, that we were not going to be that unit of heart, soul, honor, humor, and calm. After all, the calm had shattered, the heart had broken, and the soul had drifted away in mourning.

But where were Trowa and Quatre? Had they been _good_ enough? Had they made it…? Were they up there right now, exulting and sighing about what a pitiable, hapless soul Hiiro Yui was? My mouth tasted of umbrage and my chest burned with remorse and something akin to envy. Because however indifferent I was to compassion, I _wanted_ to be in Heaven, to see the four of them and her – Relena – again.

Again.

Please, let me try it just once again.

()()()

Circle Seven was subdivided into three rings; the first was home to those who injured others, the second to those who injured themselves, and the third to those who injured Him.

Quatre and Trowa stood by me gravely. They were there, patched up as if impeccably healthy, the exact replicas of the days they – we – had died.

I had been so lost in my thoughts that the name Triton Bloom had completely passed me by, but when the girl had called out Quatre Winner, I had started and looked up, meeting those pellucid eyes that used to haunt me with their innocence.

To the first ring, we were supposed to go. To the river of blood, guarded by the Minotaur and centaurs, both species of bestial rage.

The girl Minako had explained it fastidiously to us – there were shifts in a day – shifts of punishment and shifts of rest, alternating every six hours. There would be a bell to signal the end and beginning of each shift as eternity was absolute and we would not feel the passage of time as we were accustomed to.

In Ring One, for those who had harmed others, we were brought to the banks of that scarlet river by a girl who had rushed in and starkly introduced herself as Ami after smiling a little at Minako who'd beamed back.

It was a paranormal river of varying depths, filled to the brim, splashing and rolling at times and silent and stagnant at others.

I saw several people shy away. Quatre was looking down with a mute kind of horror as if this scene was what had played in his mind again and again during nightmares and realities. Trowa looked away, gazing toward some far off point. I remained aloof, without outward inflection, looking inward and practicing controlling the rate of my heart.

The girl Ami gently led each sinner to the banks and into the river, noting their locations and making checkmarks. Each person, based on how vindictive the crime, was at a different depth, some with blood up to their ankles, some to their waist, and some to their armpits. Trowa had blood up to his shoulders, Quatre to his chest, me to my chin.

When Ami finished, she backed away and offered all of us one last, very diminutive, very poignant smile and left.

And that was when the six hours started. Each and every one of us stood there, solemn, close-mouthed to mitigate the occasional waves of crimson that left our skin wet, sticky, and corrupt. The centaurs paraded along the banks, not meeting our eyes but, with great zeal, shooting arrows at anybody who moved or made a sound. So in no time, even those who had been screaming in anguish and shame fell silent as arrow after arrow pierced them, fell away as ash, and the wounds closed over leaving perfect, crescent-shaped scars.

The blood was dark, muddy, sluggish, but I kept my expression blank despite the abhorrent feeling of the surrounding burgundy, a feeling that inspired a crawling sensation at the base of my spine and caused the hair on my neck to stand on end.

And in those six hours, what was there to do but envisage one's life? One's sins?

This was the definition of Regret.

This was the definition of Sin.

This was the definition of Hell.

()()()

_Again, I apologize severely for taking so long! :O Or am I arrogant to think anybody cared. ; But I just wanted to say … thank you so much to all of you! Because you guys were awesome with your response and I feel very loved. :D I also wanted to thank _Angelight-_chan__ for helping beta-read and being … motivational. Lol. (in not-so-kind ways. JK) And … just … this will be more regular, I promise! :D And … I hope to finish this entirely before pursuing any other fics. :O Because it's so hard to manage so many at once, I'm sure. And … one last thing! I tried to be more … Hiiro-like, I suppose, in my … ah … writing. Lol. So I tried to expand my vocabulary a bit. :O Of course it's nowhere as good as the imagery _Gackt Camui_-sama__ invokes but … tell me what you thought? :) It's strange being in Hiiro's mind. Lol. _

_So … without further ado…!_

_Whitesiren___

_Thank you! :D I hoped people would like it … it was just … however much a pain it was to read Dante, the content was so morbid as to be fascinating. ; _

_Kail__ Ceannai_

_Lol__ thank you! I'm so nervous about it. :O In general first-person in fanfiction makes me nervous because people tend to make themselves the character … or incorporate a number of their traits and the characters'. ;; I hope I don't do that. Lol. Hiiro Yui is … difficult. Wouldn't you agree? :)_

_Hikari__ Cosmos_

_I'm sorry for not updating! ;; And … thank you so much for adding me to your favorites. I'd … kiss your feet or something like that. :D_

_Luinfirith___

_:O You're in _awe?_ Awe is such a strong word. Lol. I'm very flattered. :D Thank you!_

_Tink___

_I didn't quit! Lol. Though I am very interested in what you had thought it'd be like. O.o; Because that would be … interesting. :D And possibly would spawn ideas. So … tellmeplease? :D_

_Angelight___

_:D!! Don't compare me to _Gackt_-sama__. Lol. She's just … wow. And I'm talking about her behind her back. Lol. But thank you! For all your motivation and prodding. :D And … ah … help. Lol. I 3 you. :D_

_Angelwings6117_

_Thank you! :D And finally, after months and months, you will see. ;_

_Heero's__ Bunny_

_Lol__ I'm sorry for not updating soon! ; Thank you so much! Your one word (can you tell which one? :D) completely made my week. ;_

_Liquid Ice_

_You're not retarded! :O I feel so inadequate and inexperienced next to you. ; And I'm so happy that you took the time to think this through that much. ; Though I suppose I disappointed you with a somewhat lack of the sinister in this chapter … the beginning was quite frivolous, I think. O.o; I'm still not sure if this is going to be just … horror/angst. Lol. But … I'll figure it out by the time I'm through. :)_

_Ame___

_Sorry for taking so long! ; Thank you for the good luck. :D I'll need it._

_Angel313_

_Thank you! I'm sorry to have taken so long! ;;_

_Shadowsfaith___

_Thank you! I feel so special. :D_

_Silverwing1_

_Thank you! Sorry to have taken so long and … ah … not cleared up my intentions. ;_

_Gackt__ Camui is sad_

_Lol__! Don't be said Gackt-san. :D Think of all the people who envy your talent … ! And … ah … laugh! Lol. Thank youuuuu!! I feel so bubbly inside after what you said. O.o; And with your writing just … wow. I aspire to be like you. Lol. Yes, when I grow up, I'm going to be _just like you_. It'll be freaky, I promise. :D I like you interpretation/explanation of Satan's reason for falling. :O So much that … I might use it. :D It sounds intriguing. ; And … I do too need the good luck. :) And I thank you for it. :D_

_Hikari__ Yume_

_Thank you! Lol, yes, I'm another crazed Usagi fan. ; There are too many of us. Lol. But yes, I've seen PotC and yes it was alluding to Dante. ;_

_Xixi___

_Nope, no all-knowing guide to help Hiiro. O.o; That'd be giving Hiiro an unfair advantage … and we can't have that. Lol. But at least Hiiro does have Trowa and Quatre with him. I think, in a cinch, I'd want to have those two with me too. It's kind of comforting having those two around … it'd be safer, I suppose. And safer is good. :D Plus, you have people you know. I think if I were Hiiro, I'd be ecstatic that Trowa and Quatre were there with me … to be utterly selfish, of course. ;_

_LilOleMe___

_Thank you! Lol, I _will_ finish this, I promise! But … no new fics until I finish this one. :D So … wish me luck! :D_

_Thank you everybody for reading, for reviewing, and for sticking with me. :D_


	3. A Lady in Silver

Disclaimer: Neither Gundam Wing nor Sailor Moon belongs to me. And _please_ don't take me too seriously in this fic. I _am_ a Christian and am only writing this for the sake of angst. -- So please don't take this plot too seriously. Satan is _evil_, okay? --

_And please tell me if you think I should up the rating. O.o;_

* * *

_Chapter 2: A Lady in Silver_

_Kiwi-chan_

_1/23/05_

I know of many references to Christianity in classical fiction, abstruse or otherwise. And yet, despite the current Western hegemony, I'd hardly ever considered the religion, hardly ever believed it to be anything beyond disillusionment, anything beyond the animistic faiths of primitive peoples.

Relena had believed in everything of the Christian faith. She had attended church religiously, followed that straight, narrow path in every aspect of her life except when it came to me. For me, she would have murdered God.

I had reassured her always that there was no hope for me. That I was agnostic at best and atheistic at worst. But she clung to me with so much hope in my salvation. She had believed in my goodness when everybody else was looking to _her_ for goodness.

We were in our third hour of rest and already I don't hesitate to state that I preferred the hours of punishment. There was little to nothing to do during the phases of resting aside from walking around while socializing with fellow sinners and listening to each other's life stories.

"The others aren't here," Quatre had explained after we'd gotten out of the river and cleaned up to the best of our abilities. "They still live."

Several heads turned as if struck by that one-syllable word – _live_. As if struck for the first time by the simple beauty of it, by the gentle caress of it over an innocent tongue.

As we were led to the river again, a shiver of whispering passed through the line of sinners this time prodded along by the centaurs.

_She_ was coming. An inspection, a moment to see the newcomers that had fallen since the last Judgment Day.

And as we stood and waited in our bath of blood, we were each left to our own thoughts again as everybody fell silent and minds turned sluggish.

But I couldn't stop thinking. Relena still lives! Relena whom the angels had kissed, Relena whom Satan feared … Relena who had told me in blatantly accusing words, in a heartbroken tone that spoke of one who had loved and lost--

_Thou wast not bold! Thou wast not true! _1

* * *

The Black Man cometh and he will carry a Black Book to offer to you, you who will then forsake your faith and sign your name in blood. 

That phrase floated around all through the six hours of punishment and the following six hours of rest. Hardly any of the newcomers knew who or what Satan was exactly and even fewer mingled enough with past sinners to learn it for the new and old were too heavily divided by the curtain of hope.

But Satan was _not_ a man, I wanted to gloat. You might all think yourselves high and mighty now, each with more morals than the next, believing that somewhere in Hell you can find redemption. You might think He will _forgive_ you if you abhor Satan strongly enough, cruelly enough. But Satan was not the Black Man of Hawthorne's or even that of Miller's age. Satan was a silvery princess and with one look at her, you will shiver and wither from sorrow.

You will love her with all your heart because she is _you_. Because she has suffered just as you suffer now but for so much longer.

"You will forgive me if I don't believe you, Hiiro?"

I looked up at Quatre with a start and must've looked puzzled for he continued in explanation.

"You'd just whispered that Satan was in fact a silver lady." He looked grim and bowed his head, bright blue eyes and golden hair out of place in so gloomy an atmosphere. "I'm afraid you're sadly mistaken."

I glanced once at Trowa who lifted one shoulder and let it fall, indicating that he was just as much an atheist as I.

"But I saw her."

Quatre's eyebrows disappeared under his bangs. Two passerby overheard and paused to listen.

"She was an angel. Beautiful still but very tired."

People started to form a circle around our triumvirate.

"Satan is tricky, Hiiro. You can't underestimate him – her—" Quatre paused to frown and finally corrected himself a second time, "it."

I glared at the crowd of eyes and maintained, "I know what I saw – a dream in the middle of a nightmare."

Trowa sighed but didn't look up. "Even if that were true, one dream isn't enough to erase all our nightmares."

* * *

Like Christ who'd walked on water, Satan walked on blood. 

She had appeared just half an hour into our third? fourth? – one loses count after a while – phase of penance and I hadn't been able to resist a glance at Quatre's startled expression.

When she'd first entered the cavern, Minako had jumped up and ran to her, throwing her arms around the surprised figure in a hug.

"How are the others?"

"Good, good," she'd replied. "Hotaru's sick again though."

Minako nodded but didn't seem disturbed. "There was another petition to Him today…" She lowered her voice so that nobody could overhear and for another half-hour, the two spoke in hushed tones that even my acute hearing couldn't discern.

I took a moment to look around and found everybody's eyes trained on that silver figure as if due to enchantment. Even the seniors among us held a look of wonder on their faces at the sight of her.

When I turned back to her, she was already at the edge of the bank and staring at me.

"A strange one," she told Minako who looked over and cocked her head in a mute question. "His eye does not follow me as it should."

"A counterfeit?"

Satan shook her golden head. "No, just strange." She strode gracefully over the scarlet water until she was right in front of me. With my chin hardly above the torrents, I noted the immaterial fabric of her trailing dress and the strands of golden hair that pooled at her feet.

She knelt and spoke clearly enough for all to hear. "What is thy name, sir?"

I tilted my head back but she shook her head and quickly admonished, "Ah, no, you mustn't do that," catching the centaur's arrow before it struck and dropping it into the river.

"Hiiro Yui," I spat out quickly but couldn't avoid a small wave of crimson that left a metallic taste in my mouth. I fought down the urge to retch and met her pitying eyes, a bit startled that she still had the ability to pity others. She took a corner of her dress and wiped the blood off my face almost tenderly before standing up and speaking with cold civility again.

"Hiiro Yui, end thy yearning for Relena Peacecraft. She will join you soon enough."

And she moved on, stopping here and there, offering help, accepting comments like a Clara Barton in a field of dying soldiers.

Minako stood watching with tears in her eyes as many that Satan spoke to broke down sobbing and welcomed her as a confidante and savior. It was as if the black veil of despair had been cut away by this silver enchantress to reveal tear-streaked cheeks that spoke truthfully. It was as if many finally realized that they were in Hell and there wasn't going to be another chance.

"I'm off to the next Circle," she whispered to Minako who nodded and wiped her eyes before following her to escort her out.

There was silence absolute in the chamber. Out of the corner of my eye, I spied Quatre with soundless tears cascading down his face.

"And where is my Allah now?" he mouthed to himself and ignored the arrow that flew at him.

* * *

People started avoiding me after that incident. Quatre still hadn't recovered from the idea of Satan's possible _goodness_ and continued to pray daily as if keeping himself above the filth by refusing to severe his connection with Him. 

Trowa remained constant, and we talked of many things, reminiscing, remembering the beautiful along with the tragic.

The hours of punishment still continued to sting because that was when regret came most potently – during those six hours of thought and guilt. Quatre told us that the instant we become insensitive to the immorality of that river of blood, we will become unrecognizable and completely black, lost, and sinful. He said he'd renounce Trowa and me if that should ever happen but I reassured him, in stabbing words, that Trowa and I had morals enough to last quite a bit longer.

He apologized but continued his prayers like many others.

Even Minako still prayed, and she'd whispered to me once that Satan did so also.

And slowly I began to see the big picture. Satan and her following of fallen angels all repented deeply and continued to worship Him, it would seem. All I needed now was the original story. What had happened? And why, with so much evident repentance and sorrow, did He, of unfathomable mercy, not forgive?

* * *

_A very short and religiously-oriented chapter that goes quite a bit more in depth, I hope. I'm sorry again for taking my time in updating. XD Please forgive. _

_Footnotes:_

_1. Thou wast not bold! Thou wast not true! – The Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne_

_Replies:_

_Kiboo__ no hikari:_

_Thank you very much! D I feel like I pulled off first person a bit better in this chapter. It doesn't seem quite as stilted as the previous two. D _

_Kolinshar__ Benito:_

_Thank you, thank you! XD What almightiness? Haha. _

_Angel Kisses:_

_I don't know what to say. XD I'm glad it's intriguing. D And, of course, thank you. _

_NaruKami_

_Lol__ thank you much. D_

_Ashika_

_Lol__, my record is getting better. D Only 2-3 months this time, if I'm not mistaken. And yes, Angel is of the laissez-faire opinion – "do it when you want to!" XD_

_Hikaru__ Yume:_

_Ahh__, writer's block.__ Tell me about it. Lol. Thank you! D_

_Usagi __Asia__ Maxwell:_

_Lol__ you can pick out my mistakes then. D I think I haven't incorporated much of Dante in here yet. So … if anything, it'll confuse you. XD Purgatorio and Paradisio. D Very romantic-esque titles. _

_Himeno__ Midori:_

_Haha__! You're the type of reader I live for. XD The I-don't-mind-waiting type. D Thank you! _

_Heero's__ Bunny:_

_Yes, yes, let's keep that in mind. If I'm dead, I can't update. D_

_Platinum Star:_

_Aww__, don't you hate it when you have something awfully intelligent to say right on the tip of your tongue and you forget it? ;; Lol. Thank you. _

_Silverwing1:_

_Thank you! _

_Usagigreenleaf657:_

_Thank you much! D_

_Liz:_

_Lol__, a one-shot?__ I'd be cruel, perhaps? XD Or maybe I'm cruel because I continue to bombard you guys with horrible writing. ;; But yes. Not that much information on Usagi. Not much for a while. Tidbits at a time, if I can help it. D _

_Kris-chan:_

_Haha__, thank you! _

_Kail__ Ceannai:_

_It'd've__ been interesting as a one-shot. O.o; But not as extensive as I'd've liked it to be. D The prologue wasn't well-written enough to stand alone. _

_Ja__ Rule:_

_Yes. O.o; Should I up the rating?_

_Momocolady_

_Lol__ thank you. D_

_Lasako_

_Haha__, a lonnnng time away.__ ;D_

_YokoYuyGal_

_Oh, goodness, please don't take me too seriously. O.o; Thank you though … I think. --_

_MoonBunny615:_

_Yes, yes, much sooner though probably not as soon as I'd've liked it to be. -- Usagi's story will come … slowly. Lol._

_Katlin__ Grace:_

_Lol__, not a very unique way to come to her attention, I suppose? But adequate, adequate. For now. D Thank you much!_

_Mukyuu__ Tenshi:_

_Thank you very much! D_

_Rambling Naiad:_

_Lol__, thank you! Dante is a lot of hype though. Lol. It definitely borders if not trespasses on dull. XD; Good luck if you ever read it! _

_Angelight_

_HAHAHA.__ A month? How 'bout a year next time? _

_Liquid Ice_

_Lol__ if chapter 2 was a surprise, you must be blown away by how quickly I updated chapter 3! Lol. JK. SAT vocabulary does occasionally come in handy. . Of course, so does the thesaurus. XD And the thinking about the scouts … is interesting. I've considered it before but at that time I was thinking baby steps and didn't want to get too far ahead. XD It makes a lot of sense though, hmm? D And yes, 'He' refers to God. Thank you for your compliments! I'm not worthy. ;;_

_Gackt__ Camui:_

_But it's true! ;; You _are_ amazing. So just admit it and put me out of my misery. XD And yes more explanation later. O.o; Because I'm lazy. And and … yes … more later? O.o; I don't know what to say! I'm very, very flattered, of course. __And.__ Yes. Hrm. Blood. -- _

_blackAURA;__sama_

_LOL.__ I don't know how to reply to that. XD Relena will come, says Usagi. And … uh … Quatre and quarters. HAHAHA. XD I think I'd much rather have _your _brain. Thank you! You're very … entertaining. O.o; Lol._


	4. Serenity and Endymion

Disclaimer: Though it has been approximately four months, I have not managed to acquire SM or GW in this span of time. Come now. I work slow.

_Hey again, minna-sama. :D Did you miss me? I missed me. XD I hope this chapter was worth the wait! And I thank you again and again for remaining patient with me. I really appreciate it. Thanks and enjoy!_

_Chapter 3: Serenity and Endymion_

_Kiwi-chan_

_5-15-05_

(1)(1)(1)

In Circle Seven, everyone wore red.

We were streaked with it, cleansed with it, stigmatized by it.

And it soon became obvious that the hours of rest weren't hours of relief. Rest, in Hell, didn't mean an absence of punishment; it meant, at best, an abatement of punishment. Because there was no access to water in our Circle; because there were no changes of clothes every six hours. It was perhaps only because of the preservatives – the _something_ – in the air or blood that kept our consistently drenched clothing from deteriorating and rotting to unrecognizable heaps of red muck.

It was perhaps only our morals and consciences that kept _us_ from doing the same.

"She said Miss Relena would be coming soon. Does that mean she will be coming to Hell?" Quatre looked both a bit worried and a bit relieved. "It'd be nice to see her again but … whatever did Miss Relena do wrong?"

Trowa shrugged. "Whatever did _you_ do wrong?"

I think Quatre had an answer prepared in his mind but when it came time to voice it, he stumbled on its falseness. He looked ashamed and cast his eyes to the side.

"I did a lot of things wrong." And he left.

He didn't speak to us for the next two days and when he did, we spoke as if nothing had ever happened.

(1)(1)(1)

Sometimes I just wished I could hear what she was thinking – what any of these girls that walk around like royalty but pass each day like sinners think. They all take long strides, with their heads held proudly to the point of arrogance; their figures are graceful, their idiosyncrasies increasingly endearing, their words increasingly meaningful. So meaningful that during each phase of rest they sleep heavily upon my chest, killing me with their sheer preponderance. I wish I could understand them.

There was a lingo in Hell. All _him_s and _her_s and _that one time_s. At times it seemed as if they talk about me but the moments flit in and out of my awareness like a distant memory of a world that was once pretty. Sometimes it's easy to read Satan, when she stares mournfully at one of us or one of her friends, when her heart is so red, so vibrant and painfully beating on her sleeve that I just wanted to snatch it away, bite it into, and smear my hands with her blood – if only to get a taste of the pills of tragedy that she stored in it for safekeeping. But other times I can feel her eyes follow me and when I turn to meet them, she simply continues staring, undaunted, dark blue eyes empty and eerily blank as if she thought about taking _my_ heart as well and becoming intimate with every drop of my blood.

Those moments were rare but evocative, punctuating my otherwise monotonous existence. They distracted me from my thoughts of Relena and when I would be able to see her again, how I would open my arms to her and apologize over, and over, and over again until she was satisfied. _Let's try it one more time, Relena_, I would say to her and a sweet smile would steal over her face until her eyes shone and she nodded her agreement.

They told us to call Satan Serenity. The name flowed off my tongue a lot more easily than her previous moniker, the s was gentler this time, speaking of a softly whispering mist instead of the viper-like hiss of that in Satan. In the meantime, they had taken to calling me Kitten. I say this with no small amount of ire and I have shown my obvious distaste for the nickname by never responding to it. They have long given up trying to call me over by a short squeal of "Kitty!" but sometimes I overhear a murmured _Kitten_ followed by a small, embarrassed laugh.

It'd almost be funny if it didn't take place in Hell.

All was proceeding with ease and expediency until one day, when _He_ dropped in to visit.

(1)(1)(1)

"I'm not ready for this. Every time He comes, I'm not ready for it."

Minako reached over and patted her gently on the back. "Don't worry about it, Sere. Deep down, he's probably just as nervous as you are."

"Why would He be? He's not the one in Hell." She seemed to regret her words as she was speaking them but couldn't bring herself to curb them. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for."

Rei shook her head and stood up from the bed to tower over the other eight girls in the room. "You have a right to be angry. It was unfair what He did to you, what He did to _all_ of us. And to think He had the nerve to tack a sin upon each of us when we decided to follow you. It's ridiculous what He did – you're not treacherous, Sere. It was He that dressed you in that word. You are _not_."

Minako smiled a little. "If anything, he should have assigned you gluttonous."

Haruka twisted her mouth in a most vivid expression of disgust. "Nine circles and nine exiles with one to rule them all." **1**

Usagi's eyes seemed to sweep the room of its little happiness; they saw Hotaru the unbaptized child, Rei the carnal, Makoto the gluttonous, Haruka the miser, Setsuna the wrathful, Ami the heretic, Minako the hurtful, and Michiru the flatterer and hypocrite. Each, on their backs, right between scars from which the most delicate and unimaginably exquisite wings used to flap, had a number tattooed. Hotaru 1, Rei 2, Makoto 3, and so on. They were mistresses of that Circle for they exemplified the sins of that Circle, according to Him.

"I'm not ready for this," she murmured again.

(1)(1)(1)

"There are too many rumors around here. The whole place reeks of them – rumors and blood." Quatre complained as we slogged out of the river and walked to the "common room." "Some really incredible stuff."

"Hiiro, ever heard of the myth of Serenity and Endymion?"

I glanced at Trowa and shrugged. "Of course. So?" The same question was mirrored in Quatre's deliciously aquamarine eyes as he gazed at Trowa expectantly.

"That's the only place the name Serenity shows up. Don't you think that … the Greeks perhaps knew what they were talking about?" He refused to meet Quatre's eyes and Quatre turned away a bit as if afraid to believe that _pagans_ had the capability of being right in religious situations. Tension painted his knuckles white as he gripped the arms of his chair.

"Think about it. There are nine circles of Hell. There are twelve official Olympian gods excluding Hades. It might be stretching it a bit but … who knows?"

"A little problem – the myths name her Selene." Quatre looked at me approvingly.

Trowa shrugged as if he were only trying to fill up the silence with his theories. "I suppose we'll see when He comes."

(1)(1)(1)

Perhaps in the back of my mind I'd always entertained the idea that God doesn't really _exist_ in the definition we affix to the word. Even when I woke up and found myself reflected in the eyes of a silver lady who can be called either Serenity or Satan, I'd never let go of my previous beliefs. Sure, Satan was material but was God? At the peak of my imagination, God was a _feeling_ if anything at all. God was a sense of security and a concept that stole Relena away from me. There was no way to murder God.

So when He did show up, I was more than a little taken aback. He was a creature of unfathomable beauty – His eyes were the color of the morning sky; in His hair rested the breath of night; His skin spoke of countless sunrises and sunsets; His face was sculpted with the majestic rises of mountains and smooth plains. And from the way Serenity gazed at Him, it was obvious He was the Atlas that carried her world upon his shoulders.

I think at that moment, the strings of pain from which Serenity had coaxed a tender melody snapped and with that imploring look to Him from her, I'd succumbed to an inexplicable wave of vulnerability that had only come to me in my nightmares. If she'd turned to me then and said, _Kitten, come here_, I would have obeyed.

But she didn't and so I didn't dare to move, hardly dared to breathe.

All of Hell was gathered in the vestibule for a holiday from punishment so He may rest his sky-colored eyes upon us and in one all-encompassing gaze render us all speechless.

I don't think He ever spoke in that vestibule. But there were traces of tears in His eyes though they remained just as beautiful and just as hard and cold. Behind Him, Serenity sobbed mutely.

There was a soft throb of harps and the sea of sinners stirred to look up. We had all not heard music in such a long time. Nine girls streamed into the vestibule, each with her own uniquely designed harp of ivory. The middle one, the one with four girls to either side of her approached Him first, knelt at His side, and began to sing, softly at first. The others soon joined her but I didn't notice for I could already taste that first girl's name on my lips.

_Relena_.

We were dismissed not long after, all of us realizing that though His presence warmed us, Serenity's touched us.

(1)(1)(1)

None of us knew what to say on the way back down. He was so cold and so beautiful that it seemed as if it would take us all of two years to regain our breaths, our voices.

And Relena was there! _Relena!_ Relena whom Satan said I would meet again. But I'd been so deceived. The distance between her and me was too wide to breach. Quatre looked disturbed and Trowa thoughtful (as per usual).

Minako walked up to greet us as we reentered the Circle.

"So you met Him. What did you think, Kitten?" She smiled a little at the fond nickname but it was the smallest smile she'd ever worn.

"I don't know." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Quatre nodding in agreement.

Trowa shifted and eyed Minako. "What exactly … what exactly is the relationship between Serenity and Him?" The words seemed to froth out of his mouth and he looked perplexed as to how to stop them. In my chest, the same questions were boiling but they cooled as the three of us turned expectantly to Minako.

She looked away first.

"That's a story for another time," she sighed. "But for now, you may refer to Him as Endymion."

(1)(1)(1)

_So how was it? I think I'm finally starting to formulate a theory about Satan's fall and perhaps it'll surprise you and perhaps it won't. : Isn't Kitten just adorable? XD I was getting tired of people calling Usagi that._

_Footnotes:_

_1. Lord of the Rings-esque? XD_

_Replies:_

_Ashika_

_Wow, this fic is almost at its year and a half mark and I'm on my fourth installment ... I think I'm proud of myself. XD I'm glad you enjoy it. :_

_Luinfirith_

_I find it equally unbelievable that you love this story so much. XD Thank you!_

_Very-lazy-one:_

_I'll be sure to incorporate that quote somewhere. :D I didn't enjoy the Scarlet Letter very much … but after reading it I was caught up in the dialect. _

_Ivy Tearen:_

_One question that I've answered.__ :D And one request that I failed._

_Kiboo__ no Hikari:_

_Only if you give me more cookies.__ :P Thank you:D_

_Tainted Spirit of Life:_

_Very religious, yes.__ XD Maybe I should have put it under religious as a genre … I didn't realize that genre existed until just recently. _

_DreamKeeper_

_I wish I could make everybody wonder. :_

_Anime Monster:_

_Capitalized Him is the way to refer to God. If you were thinking Endymion/Mamoru before…propz to you? XD_

_Smilez4ever:_

_Thank you! I don't have a plot in my mind. Goodness help me. :P_

_Lyra__ Hime:_

_Thank you! I feel like somebody's kid sister. XD_

_Cat Demon:_

_The tragedy of Relena going to Hell.__ --; I couldn't imagine it so it didn't happen _per se

_Angelight_

_What prompting? XD _

_Raining Blood Red Moon:_

_Lol__ I'm still wondering though I think it's definitely leaning more towards a yes … but I'm lazy and mired in the status quo. Forgive me for now. XD_

_Kail__ Ceannai:_

_I think I made Quartre annoying. --; Which is entirely unintentional considering he's one of my favorite characters. This is depressing. XD Thank you!_

_MissAnnThropy2600:_

_Thank you! I'm all flustered and blushing. XD_

_AnimeSiren_

_Maybe later, maybe later.__ --; Sorry to disappoint. _

_Sere Star:_

_Yes, we _really_ need to work on the updating. XD_

_Serenity77:_

_I think I expressed myself wrongly in the last chapter. In my mind, I imagined that once per every couple of hours, Satan's cuts will reappear but they then heal over. Because they can't reappear if they stay there the whole time. See? I should go back and clarify. --;_

_Concrete Tenshi:_

_Redemption?__ Perhaps there is no need for redemption: And vibrant is a very vibrant word. :_

_Ja__ Rule:_

_I just want to go to sleep. XD But instead I am typing and studying physics. --; Thanks for your advice! It's not that I'm not taking it. It's that I'm trying to get this out as soon as possible and go back to dear old physics. XD_

_BLACKAURAsama_

_Goodness I love you. XD I wonder what you're like in person. :_


	5. Hell's Eve

Disclaimer: I don't own either Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon.

Enjoy. I spun it as I wrote it. XD

_Chapter 4: Hell's Eve_

_Kiwi-chan_

11111

How can I ever explain to you what you mean to me? My mouth is far too uncouth and barbaric to design and carve words beautiful enough to perfume your hair. I had threatened you with the task of teaching me how to love, thinking that it was as impossible a task as making a rock love a daisy, but in the end, I suppose I proved an adequate pupil if not a quick study. I wanted you to know that.

You are seven circles above me, at the level of the vestibule but a ways from it, where He – Endymion, whoever – had created a home away from home. It was the exact location where Eden was first erected as a sanctuary for those creatures that He'd loved best and the exact location where said sanctuary had sank to grief until it was no longer visible or accessible to man. You have finally caught a glimpse of Eden. Do you realize that I'm not there with you?

"Endymion and Serenity."

I looked up at Trowa's faint words and glanced away, the air of pondering swirling lazily around our group of three.

"Serenity had fallen in love with Endymion. She had rendered him virtually immortal but…" Trowa trailed off and frowned.

"Maybe it's a coincidence," I offered, shrugging with one shoulder. Quatre shot me a scandalized look as if I'd just knowingly offended his mother.

"How can you still say that, Hiiro, when there's so much _evidence_ that-"

"Humans had been on the right track?" I finished a bit harshly and stared blandly at him until he looked away, his light blonde hair flashing pale gold. "If so, I'd never been notified that Satan was a woman, and God was a prick too arrogant to-"

"Watch your mouth, Hiiro," Trowa interrupted sternly and then glanced around to see if anybody had overhead. Satisfied that nobody was paying any of us the smallest stitch of attention, he turned back and swept casual eyes over Quatre's clenched fists, his knuckles burning bone white through the pale flesh of his hands.

"What I'm trying to say is that maybe Satan isn't the evil one. Maybe-" I clamped my mouth shut sulkily at Trowa's admonitory look, wiped the blood off the back of my neck, and glared at its vermillion glow on my pale fingertips as if it was its fault that Trowa had rendered me so inarticulate.

Quatre sighed and leaned forward in his chair so his elbows rested on his knees. "Let's talk about something else." But I knew what he was thinking. Satan? Not evil? It was Serenity that'd _seduced_ Endymion with her notions of immortality. She had _bribed_ him to love her with eternal youth and beauty. I wanted to scream back at him, But had Endymion accepted? Had Endymion turned away from her as a more perfect being would have and uttered a simple, two-lettered word spelled n-o?

"What else is there to talk about?" I snapped. At Quatre's startled look, I softened my expression and looked away. "There's not much else we have left."

"We can talk about Relena."

"_You_ can talk about Relena," I retorted.

Quatre lowered his eyes and bowed his head, muttering, "Sorry." But Trowa wouldn't look away from my glare.

"You can't keep avoiding it, Hiiro. It's like how Relena herself said it – you can make it better by talking to friends." Trowa raised his eyebrows at my nonexistent expression. "We _are_ your friends, you know."

"I do. I do know that." Trowa looked satisfied, and a smile crept onto Quatre's face, illuminating the muddy darkness around us until all those surrounding us turned to look, awe coloring their faces gold.

11111

"You wanted to see me, Minako?"

All of our heads had turned at the sound of her voice, and there was the general murmur due to Serenity's surprise visit silenced only when the _twang!_ of a centurion arrow pierced one woman's throat; she gurgled a moment, her eyes wide with panic, before the wound closed over and left a scar, the arrow falling as ash into the red slime.

Then it was silent. And in it, we could hear the two women perfectly.

"Ree," Minako started in a low, uneasy voice, her hesitance bleeding through little actions like the fiddling of her fingers, the rocking on her heels, "We've known each other for a long time." She smiled. "You might even call it an eternity." Serenity made no reply, her expression almost dark as if she knew what was coming next. "The others and I have been talking. About Endymion. He-"

"I won't hear it, Minako," Serenity snapped and moved to leave the chamber before Minako grabbed her by the elbow.

"No, Ree, listen to me." Her voices sounded sincere from where we were though Minako was now turned away from us and the whole river could only get a full view of Serenity's crumbling, angry expression. "We just want to know exactly what happened. What did he do to you to make you … to make you, you know, _do it_?"

There was almost _too_ much meaning crammed into those two little words just like how Relena had crammed too much meaning into the word _Hiiro_ and just like how I'd crammed too much meaning into the word _mission_.

Serenity was silent, her expression wavering between irritated and crushed.

"Why won't you tell us anything? Do you not trust us? We followed you to _Hell_, Serenity. Look around you! This is _Hell_. And we're here _with_ you! But you won't even tell us _why_ we're here! That's like-"

"I loved Him." Three short and simple words that seemed almost devoid of meaning the way she uttered them. Minako was silent. The river was silent. Serenity swallowed and jutted her chin out, correcting herself, "I _love_ Him."

Now, from my experience with females, Minako's next reaction, as I gauged it, should have been to reach out one arm and embrace Serenity progressively before moving the other arm around her and deepening it into a full hug. Instead Minako – the always smiling Minako – gaped, her eyes losing all hints of sun or moonshine, and veritably blew up.

"You _WHAT_! I'm in hell because you _love_ such a-" her words became muffled as she placed a tautly restraining hand over her mouth. Her blazing eyes, however, uttered more obscenities than her tongue could ever wrap itself around. Serenity flinched as if afraid of being hit but didn't look away.

I saw Quatre sneak a glance my way, but I ignored it. Sometimes it became almost mind-numbing how dogmatic kind, forgiving, and acquiescing Quatre could be when it came to faith.

Then she continued, in a much quieter tone that those farthest from her in the river had trouble hearing, "I didn't ask any of you to follow me. You said you'd come to escort me and then you'd leave so I agreed because I was _weak_ and _heartbroken,_ but _you_ chose to stay. I would have drunk to my death before I let you stay-"

"We know that, Serenity. We know that," Minako sighed and turned away from her to look to the side so that we could see her profile. "What happened, Ree? What did you father say?"

"Papa died before I made the choice. You know that."

"He knew you were going to though. I know you, Ree. You would have told him."

Serenity looked close to sobbing, her cerulean eyes glowing murkily, casting beams of blue-grayish light into the cavern. "I told him the night before he died."

"Before he was poisoned," Minako corrected pointedly.

"Don't make unfounded accusations, Minako," the shorter blonde warned, pulling her shoulders back a little as if to assert her intangible authority.

Minako bowed her head slightly in apology but didn't retract her statement. "I know it's true. I can feel it. Your father was … I don't believe he was anywhere close to death."

"The scientists would have detected poison. You certainly screamed at them enough about it for them to examine the body in detail." A syringe of sarcasm had been poised at Serenity's throat and, in this statement, gently imbedded itself into her vocal cords.

Minako growled and turned to pace. "I hate you for loving him, Serenity. I hope he dies."

"He's immortal now," Serenity stated quietly.

Minako rounded on her. "That's another thing. Your father was also immortal. And that stupid excuse about his immortality wearing off-"

"You don't know if it's stupid. He's the first of my kind."

"You know as well as I do there are certain poisons that can't be detected. **_A_**_ certain poison_ that could kill an immortal," Minako muttered to her through gritted teeth. Serenity looked down at her pale hands.

"Yes, it had killed my mother."

Minako blinked as if taken aback but continued. "Endymion knows it too. All of Heaven knows it. The elixir made from a heleve blossom, it was a _prophecy._ Hell. Eve. Hell's Eve."

"I've heard that all my life. Please don't … don't make accusations. I don't think Papa is dead. I still pray to him."

Minako's posture relented. "So do all of us." She sighed a little and then turned to stare Serenity in the eye. "Did you know that Rei, Haruka, and I once went out to look for that flower? We sought to poison Endymion."

"It doesn't grow anymore," Serenity stated with facetious simplicity.

"Yes. Did you know that before we went to look for it?"

"I didn't know you went to look for it."

"They say it's extinct, but I don't believe it. Nothing dies completely in Heaven," Minako whispered furiously.

"It doesn't exist in Heaven; it exists on Earth," Serenity clipped before turning, the tattered train of her dress floating for a brief second before sinking back to the ground in grief.

Earth. The third, most humble sister of Heaven and Hell. The heleve flower existed on this plain sister … I didn't know what to make of it. For there to be a flower powerful enough to kill an "immortal" … what would happen to a mortal if he drank from it? Nothing, probably.

That's when, I think, I assigned myself my own first mission. I will get this heleve flower. I will win back these girls who call me Kitten their wings.

I will see Serenity smile again.

11111

It's coming together! I'm so excited now. I think I actually have a direction. XD It feels like I'm writing fantasy. I think later on it'll get more religious … but considering … well, I'll let you figure it out on your own. :D This chapter was a bit short. ; Sorry. Kiwi.

**You:**

**Sara:** Lol, thank you! I hadn't even realized my fic was an angel/demon fic until you mentioned it. I just thought it was a religious-ish fic. O.o; But, haha.

**AffluentHeartache** Thank you. :D Different is good. :)

**Gackt**** Camui:** My idol. :D Who doesn't believe in updating. ;; I'm … glad that I'm in your thoughts whenever you eat kiwis. XD

**Luinfirith** Lol, as you can see, I harbor no real resentment for Endymion. Does that mean anything? Hmmm…haha.

**Jade Cerise:** Haha, thank you!

**Angelight** I will progress and then I'll regress. XD So by the end of this fic, I'll be back where I started. Watch me, lol. Thank you so much. You're my other idol. ;;

**Serenity77:** Something like that. :)

**Koldy** Lol, thank you. That word says a whole lot.

**Tenshi no Yupiteru:** Yes, it's AU. Well. For Sailor Moon it's mostly AU. For GW it's a little less AU … they were still pilots before but I altered their deaths, etc. I'd imagine Minako gave Hiiro the name Kitten. XD Why did Endymion tack sins upon them – so that he'd have a reason to send each to Hell. :) Hope that helps.

**Hecate**** of Black Magic:** How are you confused? Ask me and I shall answer. XD

**JaRule** Physics is over:D Shows you how long it's been since I'd last updated. XD Not patronizing at all. :)

**Ashika** Lol, I'm trying to keep it from blasphemy. The ultimate … ah .. moral, I suppose, of the fic is not at all blasphemy. XD

**Kail**** Ceannai:** Yes, yes now that you mention it, I think I would've switched Minako and Makoto too. But there wasn't much I could do considering I'd already put Minako in that circle. Back when I had no idea that I was going to use each girl as a representation of her circle's sins. ;; Isn't it strange how well it all fits? Like … I honestly feel that each sin fits. XD Except the Minako/Makoto switch that was incorrigible. ;; I think emotionally, Hiiro is an absolute kitten. XD And I also think it's quite apt … in a slightly paradoxical manner. And it's just cute. Lol. And Endymion is pretty because he's supposed to be pretty. XD I never got into the Endymion-bashing fics. XD

Thank you all for your support:D


End file.
